AIM: To observe the possibility of flexor reflex as an enhancing method in neuromuscular stimulative technique in rehabilitation of lower extremity of hemiplegic patients after brain injury. METHODS: Totally 40 hemiplegic patients after brain injury from the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from May 2005 to August 2004 were randomly divided into 2 groups: therapy group (20 cases) and control group (20 cases). Patients in the therapy group were not only given regular rehabilitation therapy, but also flexor reflex therapy on the lower extremities while those in the control group were only given regular rehabilitation therapy including 1 therapeutic exercise in hemiplegia; 2 neuromuscular stimulative technique; 3 dissection exercise of gait; 4 activities of daily living; 5 functional electrical stimulation; 6 acupuncture and moxibustion, etc. The evaluation of Fugl-Meyer assesment (FMA) of the lower extremity was done before and after treatment (1 month later) and the scores were compared. RESULTS: The scores of FMA demonstrated that there was no difference between the two groups before-treatment (therapy group: 8.68 +/- 3.61 control group: 8.32 +/- 3.57, t = 0.3171, p > 0.05). The scores improved significantly in the two groups after 1 month treatment, but the degree of improvement in the therapy group (24.14 +/- 8.35) was significantly greater than that in the control group (15.86 +/- 6.24), and there was significant difference (t = 3.5523, p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: Flexor reflex therapy can induce or accelerate the flexion movement of the lower extremity and improve the function of the lower extremity of hemiplegic patients after brain injure.

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